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Tag: antioxidants

Wow, has it been a long time since I have been able to do a beauty post. I think back in Spring I did one, but this is the first time since then that I have had the opportunity to tell you about some of my more recent beauty finds. This will at least be a three part series so, enjoy and let me know what you think of some the products. Have you tried any of them? What did you think?

My wear all the time foundation for the last couple of years was an excellent Urban Decay Foundation called “All Nighter,” but I purchased this Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream from IT Cosmetics, as soon as the brand became available in Canada in spring. I had read from countless beauty bloggers with a similar fair skin, hat they loved this CC + cream both for its anti-aging benefits and because it functioned as a matte foundation.

Moreover, when I purchased this CC+ Cream with some other IT Cosmetics loot, I was extremely pleased with their products. The original CC+ Cream works well, providing the full coverage of a foundation. However, it also has moisturizer and anti-aging ingredients plastic surgeons and dermatologists use in their cosmetic skin treatments. For me, the moisturizer and anti-aging products were a plus as the last couple of years my skin has tended to be more normal and less oily. Since my skin is drier, and the extra moisturizer keeps my skin hydrated. I loved that the product had such a high SPF of 50+ as I burn easily and protecting your face from sun damage and future wrinkles is essential in the summer and all year round.

As well, for those of you who do not know the difference between a foundation, a CC cream, and BB Cream I’ll define those briefly. Foundation is extra coverage on your face to make your skin appear flawless and have an even skin tone. It can come in a cream, liquid, stick or in other version but it does not have extra moisturizer or anti-aging benefits. A BB Cream, however, ss essentially a moisturizer with light coverage and a CC cream has anti-aging products, moisturizer, and buildable or full coverage similar to the coverage of light to medium coverage foundation.

This specific CC+ Cream by IT Cosmetics, is one of the best CC + Creams I’ve ever used and it superior to many foundations, providing full matte coverage that stays most of the day. The product descriptions notes that along with having SPF 50 + UVA/UVB rays, the CC+ Cream works to “clinically increase hydration,” give skin a”smooth[er] texture, and enhance [skin] brightness.” As advertised, I have never found this CC + Cream to crack or crease and its great at hiding imperfections.

As well, the matte CC+ Cream from IT Cosmetics is anti-aging and the ingredients in the product include “hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, vitamins, and antioxidants” that diminish ” wrinkles” and the size of pores.

If you wear makeup almost every day, a tube of matte CC+ Cream from IT Cosmetics lasts three months and feels lighter than my Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation which I save for when I’m going out and wearing my makeup for 18 to 20 hours. This CC+ Cream is a light feeling makeup for in the day and I definitely recommend it. Its price is also comparable in price to most foundations and the benefits of anti-aging ingredients, make thee CC+ creams one of my new favorites for almost every occasion. I give it 5/5 stars!

The second time I ordered the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Illumination Cream I noticed they had a new version of the CC + Cream out so I decided to try it as it promised full coverage but with a “radiant finish.” I was as happy with this CC+ Cream as the one above, it still had great anti-aging ingredients such as Collagen and Hyaluronic acid which are essential to your skin staying youthful. However, I also liked that the Illumination formula felt a tad lighter on my skin.

I don’t notice that is less matte than the original CC+ Cream or that it shows more glowiness or radiance. However, comparing the two together the first CC+ cream is actually a bit heavier in coverage while this one feels a bit more natural and mixes better with a liquid highlighter cream. The original CC+ Cream doesn’t mix well with liquid highlighters and tends to remain quite matte. However, to get that ‘radiant’ finish a person does have to add their favorite liquid highlighter. Tarte has a great one if you’re interested, check it out HERE.

I have continued using this CC+ Illuminating Cream into Fall and Winter, for the lighter feel and finish of the CC+ Cream compared to the initial CC+ Cream. I ordered it a third time this month and like the original cream, it lasts about three months.

Especially now that its winter, I notice I need the extra moisturizer and after a few months of using both CC+ Creams I do notice my skin is smoother and feels nicer. Also, if you are worried about breaking out I hardly break out with either CC+ Cream and when I attempted to switch back just to a light coverage foundation, it wasn’t comparable to either the illuminating or original CC + Creams not having the moisture or extra anti-aging products.

I have the color fair in either CC+ Cream and its perfect for my pale skin but the product can be applied lightly enough so that if you were going on vacation somewhere hot and needed good coverage with the SPF 50+ and UVA/UVB protection, you could use a darker shade of the CC+ cream or add a few drops of a darker foundation to the product. I give the Illumination CC+ Cream 4/5 stars only because I was expecting more luminance from it.

When I had oilier skin I went through powder almost as often as I used foundation and I had never found a product comparable to Clinique’s Almost Powder Makeup until I used this Perfecting Powder from It Cosmetics. One of my favorite things about the powder in summer was that the packaging is designed so that sponge has a little place beneath the powder compact so no germs or bacteria end up in the powder.

Also, I used the color fair which was perfect for me. It gave me coverage where I needed, say when using concealer beneath my eyes or over a concealed blemish.

I do put a bit of powder on my skin for contouring and in only in certain areas of my currently normal skin type. When it was warmer, I put the powder where it might be oilier or where my makeup might fade. Now, I simply use a small powder brush to set concealer under my eyes, on my forehead, chin, and under my contour and blush and it lasts me the entire day.

Also, I love that powder feels light and but has excellent coverage. Again, in a warmer place where you tan, a darker powder would work to keep your face more matte. I liked this powder better than the illuminating powder for its coverage in areas a person needs.

My current compact, purchased in spring, has lasted almost a good six months. I’m only now getting down to the bottom of the package which I bought in early spring. IT Cosmetics also has a colorless powder if you don’t like the skin toned powder and don’t need it. As well, if you use the powder all over your face with one of the CC+ Cream it improves the coverage of your makeup a great deal

As well, the powder is made with “skin-loving Drops of Light Technology” that “transform” the appearance of your skin with “optical-blurring pigments that visually camouflage pores, dark spots, and fine lines.” When I put this powder on certain areas or if you put it on your whole face, it most definitely makes your skin appear “soft, flawless, and luminous” as advertised on Sephora.ca.

Moreover, the Air Brush Perfecting Powder’s anti-aging ingredients include “hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, and silk,” and the coverage of the powder is buildable. I do not have many lines or any wrinkles yet but the product also claims not to settle into lines or wrinkles which is always a bonus.

This is my new favorite powder and comparable in price to my old Clinique Almost Powder makeup as it lasts longer. It also feels lighter on my skin and my skin still feels soft when wearing it. A 5/5 star product for sure!

My first impressions after ordering this Ombre Radiance Bronzer mid-summer was that the Bronze color would be too dark for me even though its a bronzer for most skin tones. I’m quite pale so something too orangy or dark looks ake on my skin especially for bronzing or for contouring.

However, what I loved about this product as I used it was that it was ombre so that I could essentially mix the bronzer so I used about a medium shade of the ombre on my skin for contouring and the lighter more radiant end for bronzing. If I wanted a look not too matte but a little glowy, I could also mix the light bronzer and the dark bronzer together. Overall the ombre bronzer works well and is a good concept for a bronzer. However, having fair skin I have to be careful not to use the dark and matte end of the bronzer alone.

I liked that the bronzer was big in size for blending in the palette and I also felt like I was receiving my money’s worth. Nevertheless, the cover is similar to a clear bubble and is difficult to put away with other makeup as it sticks up and doesn’t lie flat.

Overall I think the IT Cosmetics Ombre Radiance Bronzer excellent product with 3.5/5 stars. I do think there should be two shades of this bronzer, one for skin with blue or pink tones (and less orange) and one for skin tones that are warmer. It would make it a more effective product for all women. As well, the packaging could be changed to make it easier to store.

This Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil is absolutely one of my favorite brow pencils that I have ever used. It’s not quite a pencil that you sharpen but a thicker brow pencil turning out of the penciled cover with an “ovalled tip.” The pencil is easy to apply to shape brows and to fill in sparse eyebrows.

As brows are a huge makeup trend right now, finding your perfect brow pencil is difficult. However, this pencil is wonderful for many skin tones unless your eyebrows are black or have a warmer tone such as those women who are redheads or have more red in their natural hair color.

As well, if your brows are on the lighter side, you can apply less of the brow pencil. For instance, you can use it to shape your brows and then take the spoolie at the end of the pencil and brush through your brows, using the outside pencil shaping to fill in your naturally lighter toned brows. However, if your eyebrows are naturally a little darker such as mine, you can outline your brows and fill them in a little in the middle, for a more natural looking brow with a bit more definition.

Also, if you wanted a full-on brow look, shaping and filling in your brows with the pencil all over, will give you this bold look. Moreover, it is my opinion that a brow gel such as Benefit’s Volumizing Brow Gel gives your brow hairs a more defined look and more volume with the Benefit Brow Gel or a similar product. You can also use less brow pencil inside your brows when using a volumizing brow gel.

IT Cosmetics writes that their Universal brow pencil is infused with “proprietary Brow Power™ Technology and brow-enhancing ingredients.” These include ingredients such as “biotin, saw palmetto, and antioxidants.” The “oval tip” of the pencil is also meant to “mimic” the “look of real hair” and the formula of the pencil is “budge-proof” and long-lasting.

My only thought was that a person who has a warmer skin tone might need a brow pencil that is a warmer brown and not a cool taupe. For me the Brow Power IT Cosmetics brow pencil is perfect and I would give it 5/5 stars.

If you’re like me, you might not be a big lipstick person. Partly because you choose not to focus on your lips in your makeup routine, or partly because you want a more natural lip color that moisturizes and stays on your lips. Although this Vitality Lip Flush is a neat product as it alters lip color to your natural PH level, and your best pink lip color, it’s only moisturizing when you have it on your lips.

It is not long lasting and once it wears off your lips, they tend to feel dried out even though this lip product is supposed to hydrate well. The Lip Flush appears beautiful when you have it on but it needs to be re-applied every half hour or so. It’s also anti-aging and creates a “pink stain” on your lips which looks pretty, natural, glossy, and healthy.

The product is created with IT Cosmetics’s “Hydra-Luxe™ technology” with ingredients such as “plum oil, cherry oil, shea butter, aloe, and jojoba” that are all supposed to “hydrate, condition, and nourish” your lips. For me, I didn’t like how my lips felt when the product had worn off.

On the upside, it is a great product for all skin tones as it adapts to your perfect pink lip color. It’s not a bad product and I do think its benefits outweigh its ‘cons’ so I would give the product 3 /5 stars as its extremely versatile and moisturizing for the time it remains on your lips.

Good Afternoon everyone. I’m back with some of my favourite beauty products I’ve tried since my Fall Beauty Haul. I hope you like the products and find some you can incorporate into your own beauty routine.

This wasn’t a product I went out and bought, but I received the full-sized product with a coupon code from Sephora. Its a product part of Benefit’s recently revamped brow line since brows have become a big deal these past two-years where makeup is concerned.

I haven’t used this product long, only a week, but I wanted to include it in the Beauty Haul. So far I enjoy the product and it makes my brows feel soft. You don’t have to wear other brow products on top of it. If you want, you can wear Browvo alone. Basically, Browvo’s a pen and you squeeze some of the conditioning product out. There is a soft rubber comb you can use to brush it on your eyebrows.

The biggest feature I think of this is product, is that it is conditioning so if you have sparse brows, this makes them appear “fuller, thicker, and healthier.” Browvo is a “nutrient rich” conditioning formula with “keratin” and “soy proteins.” These ingredients are known to help brows appear fuller.

For women who have either over-plucked their own brows or gone to places to have their brows waxed and had them waxed and shaped too thin for a long time, Browvo is fantastic product for you to try out. Also if you find the pencil or gel you are filling in your brows with doesn’t last, Browvo is a brow primer and will aid you in keeping your brow makeup in place.

My brows have always been on the fuller side so even though my brows feel nice when I put Browvo on, it’s not a product I would purchase because I don’t think its a product marketed to me but to women who have sparser brows. If I needed primer on my brows I would use my usual face primer which is POREfessional primer from Benefit.

On a different makeup order, I received a full-sized sample of Benefit’s of ka-Brow. I’ve been using it a few weeks and its a great product actually. Ka-Brow is a cream gel product you use to fill in your eyebrows, instead of a pencil or other brow products. I’ve never used a gel product on my eyebrows, so I was eager to try ka-Brow out.

The lid comes of this product and you pull off the brush as well, to dip it into the brow gel container which is on the bottom of the product as you can see. It can be difficult to tell at first, how much of the gel you need to use to fill in your eyebrows. I found a little ka-Brow goes a long way. The brush is tiny and it’s easy to fill in your brow more naturally, with tiny strokes. Or to make your brows look more defined by using thicker swipes of ka-Brow on your eye brows.

The product promises to “fill,” “sculpt,” and “define brows.” You can build it from a “natural” look to a more “dramatic” one quite easily with ka-Brow as I mentioned. Ka-brow is also Waterproof and lasts 24 Hours.

I had never considered using a gel product such as ka-Brow to fill in my brows.I am quite happy to use a brow pencil which is soft but not too soft. I find despite using ka-Brow, I require Benefit’s blond brow gel over top to set the product.

I’m undecided about using ka-Brow over a pencil such as an Anastasia Brow Pencil I’d been using before trying this product. Ka-Brow can accidentally be put on quite too thick and I don’t know how long it lasts compared to a brow pencil. A good brow pencil such as one from Anastasia, lasts me three-months. So I’ll see if this product lasts another couple of months.

There is nothing wrong with ka-Brow. It works well, and I chose the shade o1 Platinum for blonds and the colour is perfect; however, it’s up to you what products you prefer to use on your eyebrows and how much you can afford to spend on a brow product for how long it lasts. I haven’t decided if I like this product enough to buy it again.

I admit, I’m a mascara junky. Out of all the products I use, mascara is the one I change the most often. My last one from Make Up Forever, I ended up loving in the end, except that the brush which covered every tiny lash, made mascara go all over my eye area and the mascara didn’t appear to have such a volumizing effect as I was hoping for. So for over top, I bought this L’Oreal mascara from Shoppers Drug Mart and it worked extremely well to use over top the Make Up Forever Mascara and fill out my eyelashes.

I find myself consistently going back to L’Orealmascaras because they reliably, time and again, have well priced mascaras which do the same job as most mascaras in the $30.oo to $40.00 range.

For L’Oreal you are only paying around $10 CAN for their mascara. It’s a shame when you buy an expensive mascara and hate it. But if you don’t like a cheaper mascara it isn’t such a big deal if it doesn’t work out. The only difference I can say between say L’Orealmascaras and expensive mascaras such as Dior, is that mascaras such as Dior, have fantastic black or brown colour pigment.

However, I do tend to receive many beauty samples, especially in mascara. I will try out a new mascaras a sample from a more expensive brand, and put the L’Oreal over top to set a non-waterproof mascara (because it runs under my eyes) and to add a little extra volume if needed. I completely recommend this L’Oreal mascara and many other kinds of L’Orealmascara, as long as the mascara is waterproolipf.

Lately, I find myself becoming more interested in lip products.For most of my twenties, lip gloss or lipstick in a light pink was fine for going out or during the day. Now I find I enjoy wearing a bit of colour on my lips because you can wear a bold lip and wear hardly any other makeup than a bit of mascara, eyeliner, and concealer.

Usually, I like to wear makeup but every once and a while, if I’m just running quick errands and than going home, I don’t feel like putting all the effort into doing my full makeup routine. My pet peeve about lipsticks and glosses is in a way, the same way I feel about mascaras: I hate when I buy a more expensive lipstick or gloss and it comes off right away, the first time you have a glass of water. Also, I hate that many lip glosses can be sticky.

This is not the case with Make Up Forever’s Artist Plexi-Gloss. It’s super amazing stuff and you can buy it many colours in a high shine finish or in a shimmer finish. The colour I bought was a Fuchsia Pink and it’s amazing. I’m not huge on bright red lipstick as you know, but this is my trade off. I love wearing this bright shade some days, and it stays on incredibly well through drinking, eating, and whatever else you’re doing. I’m so pleased by how long the colour lasts.

Besides the brilliant colours this Artist Plexi-Gloss has an artist designed foam applicator (a”superflex” tip) which is amazing for applying the gloss and having “precision and control,” while doing it. As well, I enjoy that the Plexi-Gloss is shiny but not super shiny such as many sticky lip glosses or moisturizing lipsticks. Plexi-Gloss is more akin to lipstick with shine, the colour is so intense. I highly recommend this lip product; it is most certainly worth the $24.00 CAN.

I’ve hardly ever had a problem with dry skin in my entire life. My problem has always been oily skin. Being a couple of years into my thirties, I find my skin is changing a bit. It has become more dry. The chilly -25 degrees Celsius weather we are experiencing in Alberta, Canada isn’t helping my dry skin either.

Having had troubles with many skin products in the past, I’m always hesitant about different face masks and other brands of skincare. But I’ve been so pleased with a newer brand to Sephora called Laneige. I’ve tried a couple small one or two day samples of their products. But also with my Sephora points, bought a large sample of Laneige’s Multiberry Yogurt Repairing Mask.

It smells wonderful, a bit as yogurt of course, but also as strawberries. The sample I received which was (0.6 fl.oz), lasted two-months and I’ve been used this moisturizing mask every two-days as directed. This Yogurt Repairing Mask is put it on after using your toner. You leave the mask on for five to ten minutes and then gently rinse it off your face with lukewarm water. After you can apply any other creams or your moisturizers you use to your face.

I wake the next morning after using this Yogurt Repairing Mask and my skin feels soft and hydrated. It’s not dry as my skin has often been feeling lately. I did go and purchase this from Sephora, it was highly worth it.

Laneige’s Multiberry Yogurt Repairing Mask delivers “nutrition” and “antioxidants” deep into skin. It is formulated to “remove dead skin” from the surface of your face. Its unique “fermented yogurt” formula provides “anti-irritation” benefits to the skin. Not to mention, I’ve never once broken out after using this mask the next day or any days after. I’m excited to maybe try other products from Laneige’s skin care line. I most definitively recommend this mask and I think for how long the product lasts, the price is reasonable.